You’re Killing Your Houseplants with Love and Attention

And we have an expert who can help you stop.

Plants are the unsung heroes of our homes. They clean the air without chemicals. They add color and texture to your space. They bring an element of nature into our tech-heavy houses. With all they give to us, the least we can do as the keepers of the watering can, is learn the basics about keeping our secret ninja workhorse plants alive and happy and thriving.

Sophie Lee of geo-fleur is here to help you fill your home with lovely, innovative, easy-to-care for houseplants that will turn your house into a homey space. Bonus: Her book, Living with Plants, is a simple-to-understand guide that will stop you from killing every green thing you bring into your home. Rule No. 1: Stop over-watering your houseplants.

How do you know when your plants need watering? According to Lee, that depends on the plant. Don’t ignore the little insert telling you how your plant can live its best life. What kind of sun does it need? How does it like its compost? How does it prefer to be watered? You can gage your plants overall happiness by whether or not its leaves are drooping, but Lee warns that sometimes that’s a sign that comes too late. “Some plants cannot come back from this stage,” she writes. “Do not let them get that bad.” Everything you need to know about what will make your plant happiest should be right on its information card.

According to Lee, there are numerous ways to water your houseplants.

Top Watering “Water the plant at the top of its pot using a long-spouted watering can,” Lee writes. “Try to avoid watering the leaves.”

Bottom Watering “Pop a saucer filled with water under the pot,” Lee writes. “The plant can then absorb as much water as it needs without any danger of overwatering.”

Plunging Lee describes this as, “Almost like a spa day for your plant.” We like a good spa day, so we get why this special hydration treatment floats so well with our green housemates. “Submerge the pot– but not the entire plant– into a bucket or sink of water until the soil is moist,” Lee instructs. “Then allow any excess water to drain away.”